Smiles for miles as Barker qualifies for The Open

Jul 4, 2023 | Featured, South Africans abroad

Kyle Barker led four South Africans into the Open Championship on Tuesday as he carded 10-under-par for 36 holes at West Lancashire to book his maiden major championship tee time on July 20 at Royal Liverpool.

Meanwhile, at Royal Cinque Ports, Mortin Rower, Charl Schwartzel and the man who has the lowest round in Open Championship history, Branden Grace, also punched their tickets to the final major championship of the year.

It was a superb day for Barker, who won his maiden Sunshine Tour title just over two months ago, as he opened with a bogey-free six-under-par 66, and followed it up with six more birdies in the next 18 holes with two bogeys to sign for a four-under-par 68.

His performance saw him join Englishmen Matt Wallace, Matthew Jordan and Alex Fitzpatrick as well as German amateur Tiger Christensen in the field for Royal Liverpool.

Rohwer secured a place in what will be his first major championship with an opening level-par 72, followed by a three-under-par 69 which saw him share the top of the leaderboard with Belgium’s Thomas Detry. Schwartzel, Grace and Antoine Rozner of France were on stroke back on two-under after 36 holes, and took the remaining places of the five on offer at Royal Cinque Ports.

Meanwhile, it was a devastating end of an attempt to get into the field for Oliver Bekker, who had been in contention for much of the day in Royal Porthcawl. He triple-bogeyed the last to finish one-over, two shots off the top five.

Also missing out at Royal Porthcawl were Thomas Aiken and Lyle Rowe.

Dean Burmester, Luke Jerling, Zander Lombard, Adam Breen, Nico Els and Zimbabweans Kieran Vincent and Benjamin Follett-Smith failed to qualify at Royal Cinque Ports, and Rupert Kaminski missed out at West Lancashire.

At Dundonald Links, there were no South Africans in the field, but the Welshman who has won two Sunshine Tour titles and lives in South Africa, Rhys Enoch, missed getting in to a play-off for qualification by one shot.

For Barker, however, it will be the biggest smile on the Sunshine Tour walking the fairways of Royal Liverpool for his first major.

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